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Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes seizures. A seizure is a change in sensation, awareness, or behavior brought about by a brief electrical disturbance in the brain. Although there are many different type of seizures they are all caused by the sudden change in how the cells of the brain send electrical signals to each other. Epilepsy affects people of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds. More than 2.7 million Americans are living with epilepsy. Every year, 161,000 Americans will develop seizures and epilepsy for the first time. Epilepsy can develop at any age.

There are three types of seizures, generalized seizures, partial seizures, and non epileptic seizures. In generalized seizures both side of the brain are affected. They produce loss of consciousness, either briefly or for a longer period of time, and they are subcategorized into several other types. One is tonic clonic, myoclonic, absence and atonic. The other type of seizure is partial seizure and that only affects one side of the brain. Partial seizures are then divided into simple partial seizures where you stay consciousness and complex partial seizures in which you loss consciousness. If you are having a partial seizure it can spread to cause a generalized seizure and that is called partial seizure secondarily generalized. In a non epileptic seizure the seizures are not caused by electrical disruptions to be brain.

There are different kinds of treatments for seizures. One is surgery, which most people do not have unless they have tried all medications and nothing controls their seizures. Most seizures are treated by medications. There are many different type of medications but most of them have a lot of side affects. Another option to treat some type of seizures is a diet. It is called the ketogenic diet and you have to go to the hospital to start the diet. Another type of treatments is called the VNS. It is an electrical unit they put...

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...Epilepsy takes place when one has unpredictable seizures due
to abnormal signals. These signals come from the temporal lobe.
Epilepsy can cause several seizures that affect the brain
overtime. An epileptic person that has not been diagnosed yet
suffers from several symptoms after or before a seizure due to
these strong abnormal signals. However, it all depends on which
type of Epilepsy the person has. Each type of Epileptic seizure is
completely different. There are three categories of epileptic
seizures, generalized, partial and absence seizures.
Epilepsy is diagnosed through the Electroencephalography
(EEG) and an Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain.
The EEG records the electrical activity that is released from the
temporal lobe. Depending on the doctor, an EEG can be from 30
minutes to an entire week. Usually when a doctor is unsure
whether to prescribe a medication, he or she wants to have a
longer recording of the electrical activity. An EEG that is under
24 hours usually takes place in the Neurologist office or in a
hospital. During this procedure, the doctor wants the patient to
record each time they have a seizure. If the patient has abnormal
electrical activity during these seizures, then the seizure is an
Epileptic Seizure. During a Neurological MRI, a patient's brain
structure is looked at to see if there are any...

...EpilepsyEpilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures (convulsions) over time. Seizures are episodes of disturbed brain activity that cause changes in attention or behavior.
Causes
Epilepsy occurs when permanent changes in brain tissue cause the brain to be too excitable or jumpy. The brain sends out abnormal signals. This results in repeated, unpredictable seizures. (A single seizure that does not happen again is not epilepsy.) Epilepsy may be due to a medical condition or injury that affects the brain, or the cause may be unknown (idiopathic).
Symptoms
Symptoms vary from person to person. Some people may have simple staring spells, while others have violent shaking and loss of alertness. The type of seizure depends on the part of the brain affected and cause of epilepsy.
Most of the time, the seizure is similar to the previous one. Some people with epilepsy have a strange sensation (such as tingling, smelling an odor that isn't actually there, or emotional changes) before each seizure. This is called an aura.
Signs and tests
The doctor will perform a physical exam, which will include a detailed look at the brain and nervous system. An EEG (electroencephalogram) will be done to check the electrical activity in the brain. People with epilepsy will often have abnormal electrical activity seen on this test. In some cases, the test...

...I chose to do my research on epilepsy. I have some knowledge of this sickness and I have found some interesting facts and more information that will help us as we prepare ourselves to become future educators. As we all know we will be faced with many students, and we must prepare ourselves with the terms, facts and the many learning abilities to fit the needs of the children for they our future. The more I continue to prepare myself, I am getting a clearer understanding how children lean and it will be up to me to provide learning opportunities as a teacher. I understand how each student differs in learning and I will be able to create instructional opportunities for diverse learners. Throughout my paper you will be able to understand what epilepsy is and what happens to cause a seizure. I will explain the difference between epilepsy and a seizure. I will list facts from various researchers and the treatment provided.
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes people to have recurring seizures. The seizures happen when clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain send out the wrong signals. People may have strange sensations and emotions or behave strangely. They may have violent muscle spasms or lose consciousness. Epilepsy has many possible causes, including illness, brain injury and abnormal brain development. In many cases, the cause is unknown.
Doctors use brain scans and other tests...

...Running head: Stress of Epilepsy 1
Psychological &amp; Behavioral
Stress of Epilepsy
By
Thomas Agnew
GE-117
Mr. Chambers
Running head: Stress of Epilepsy 2
Abstract
When a patient is diagnosed with Epilepsy they need to take into consideration psychological effects, behavior, and surgery. They will go through several stages/levels related to stress. There will be a 180 degree turn to their life with changes to living situation, dating, and educational pursuits. Types of surgery depend on the sex and age of a patient. My life was damaged in some way or another by this medical condition.
Running head: Stress of Epilepsy 3
Psychological &amp; Behavioral Stress of Epilepsy
When a doctor diagnoses a patient with Epilepsy, they need to take into consideration psychological effects, behavior, and surgery. The main question is “What will happen to my family?” The individual may experience a series of stages until they are able to accept what has happened to them is a part of their life. Their family needs to understand those feelings are to be expected. The patient’s behavior in some way is a physical response of both emotion and body language of what...

..."Epilepsy is a nervous system disorder that produces sudden, intense bursts of electrical activity in the brain. This abnormal electrical activity in the brain causes seizures, which may briefly upset a person's muscle control, movement, speech, vision, or awareness."
My definition of Epilepsy is pretty much the same; however, I would not have used the word briefly as it makes it sound so short lived. Seizures can last anywhere from a few seconds up to a few minutes. To get an accurate time adjustment use this comparison, for every second you are in a seizure you are killing many times the brain cells than if you were not. Add into this equation that the lack of oxygen to brain while in a seizure also increases the rate of brain cell death. Every second now feels like an hour. Then figure in that if it is a Grand-mal seizure where every second of convulsion is physically compared to 30 minutes of intense aerobic exercise, now you can begin to get somewhat of an idea. To get an even better picture let me explain what happens after the seizure. Disorientation: not knowing where you are when you come out of a seizure. Sometimes not knowing who you are or anyone else around are. No concept of what day or time it is.
Physically: After having a Grand-mal seizure you are physically drained and tired. After getting the strength to get moving again, you now have a major migraine headache which lasts for about another day, and it gets worse with every...

...Background:
Epilepsy is also referred to as seizure disorder; it is a chronic brain disorder that briefly interrupts the normal electrical activity of the brain to cause seizures. These seizures can be characterized by a variety of symptoms including uncontrolled movements of the body, disorientation or confusion, sudden fear, or loss of consciousness. Epilepsy may be a result from a head injury, stroke, brain tumor, lead poisoning, or genetic conditions. An interesting fact about epilepsy is that in over 70 percent of the cases no cause has been identified. Did you know that about 1 percent of the world population, or over 2 million people, are diagnosed with epilepsy (Epilepsy Foundation)?
Types and causes of Seizures:
A person has a seizure when there is an abnormal discharge of electrical energy in certain brain cells. The discharge spreads to nearby cells, and the effect may be loss of consciousness, involuntary movements, or abnormal sensory phenomena. The effects of the seizure will depend on the location of the cells in which the discharge starts and how far the discharge spreads. Like stated before about 1 percent of the population is diagnosed with epilepsy but did you know that about 6 percent of the population will have a seizure in their lifetime? Most of that 6 percent of people will not be diagnosed with epilepsy because they do not have seizures on a...

...grand mal seizure, where she lost control of the car. The car hit a bump in the road where it caused the car to roll. Cora was killed on impact. The part that I, as a mother, hate the most is that the doctors were unable to identify what caused the seizure. There are days that I still think of what Cora would be doing if she were still here today.
Resources
Freeman, John M. Vining, Eileen P.G. pillas, Diana J. (2002). Seizures and epilepsy in childhood A guide (Thrid ed.). Baltimore, Maryland: The John Hopkins University Press.
Hansen, J. (2012). Daughter has epilepsy
Mayo Clinic Staff. (May 19, 2012). EEG (electroencephalogram): What you can expect. Retrieved October/16, 2012, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eeg/MY00296/DSECTION=what-you-can-expect
Phillip S. Strain, Michel Hersen. (1988). Epliepsy. In Vincent B. Van Hasselt (Ed.), Handbook of developmental and physical disabilities (First ed., pp. 247-270). Elmsford, New York: Pregamon Press.
Smith, Tom E. C., Polloway, Edward A., Patton, James R., Dowdy, Carol A. (2012). Epilepsy. In A. C. Davis (Ed.), Teaching students with special needs in inculusion settings (Sixth ed., pp. 356). New Jersey: Pearson....

...5/11/2011
Epilepsy Guide: Causes, Symptoms and …
Home › Harvard Health Topics A-Z › EpilepsyEpilepsy
What Is It?
Epilepsy is a nervous system condition. It causes repeated, sudden, brief changes in the brain's electrical activity. These changes cause various types of symptoms. Epileptic episodes are called seizures or convulsions. During a seizure, brain cells fire uncontrollably at up to four times their normal rate. Seizures temporarily affect the way a person behaves, moves, thinks or feels. There are two main types of seizures: A primary generalized seizure involves the entire brain. A partial seizure begins in one brain area. It affects only part of the brain. However, a partial seizure can turn into a generalized seizure.
Many conditions can affect the brain and trigger epilepsy. These include: Brain injury, either before or after birth Brain tumors Infections, especially meningitis and encephalitis Genetic conditions Abnormal blood vessels in the brain Lead poisoning In most people with epilepsy, the specific cause is unknown.
Symptoms
The symptoms of epilepsy vary. They depend on how much of the brain is affected, and where the affected area is located. Primary generalized seizures: Generalized tonic-clonic seizure (grand mal seizure) — The person loses consciousness. He or she falls to the ground and temporarily stops breathing. All body
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